The Citizen, 2006-03-16, Page 41Leading the way
Service from Planting to Harvesting
• Harvesting silage • Planting all crops • Spreading manure
• Mowing alfalfa • Spraying • Large square baling
• Packing silage • Fertilizing • Field tillage
CLAUSSEN FARMS
Custom Farming Inc.
76402 Airport Line, Brucefield, ON NOM 1J0
(519) 233-3198 or (519) 525-8329
claussenfarms.co
ealzdiaa id Farm Supply
& Tack Shop
RR 3, Listowel (519) 291-1094
Authorized distributor of International Stock Food,
Mineral & Forage Inoculants.
Canadian distributor of Pennwoods
Equine Supplements
Farm Supply Centre offering:
Farm gates, hay feeders, agri-plastic calf hutches, Ritchie water
fountains, Gallagher fencing supplies and energizers, Cedar and
pressure treated fence posts, plus all your other needs.
1=lorse feeds, halters, bridles, saddles,
plus all your grooming & tack needs.
System horse stalls, stall mats, security cameras and more.
ate vows needs at just one &ration!
CALL TO ORDER NOW
Home raised beef steak, roasts, ground
beef, hamburger patties, summer sausag
Also available half or whole beef
Cut wrapped & frozen
(All Government Inspected)
Hwy. 86, East of Listowel
Hours: Mon. - Sat., 8:00 am - 5:30 pm
In Store Items
Canada West Boots,
Bolo Ties, Hats,
Budweiser Giftware
plus more!
PAGE A20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2006.
Agriculture 2006
hard to do when you're going broke
in the present.
"Programs like the environmental
farm plan, which was announced at
the APF framework in 2002, took
until April 2005 to get the program
up and running. These FarmGroup-
Ontario-Canada Partnership
Programs are harder to get
established, so it is very important
that we are working on a new
program now to have a seam-less
transition when this program expires
in 2008, ensuring that there is no gap
and therefore the farmers know
where they stand."
Optimism is important though and
Black said OSCIA does try to stay
away from a negative view. "It does
come up at meetings, but we try to
focus on what lies ahead. After all,
there is no doubt that agriculture will
survive. It's just that some of the
producers may not."
Black reminds that there are
segments of agriculture that are
doing well, such as dairy and
feather. "But they are so highly
capitalized I don't know how
turning them over to the next
generation could be a viable
option."
On an issue closer to home, Black
said he would like to see more
demonstrations and one-day farm
tours to generate more interest.
There are many purposes to these
projects. Crop demonstrations can
be done for testing a product, for
planting methods or to test fertility.
"It's a total package."
Currently there is a project in the
works that will look at reducing the
amount of nitrogen used and the
Continued on A21
Belgrave man leads Ontario Soil and Crop
The challenge to increasing
membership, as well is the fact that
farmers can reap the benefits of
OSCIA without signing on as a
member.
"The South and West Ag
:conferences, the Grey Bruce Ag
Week, the Farmsmart farm
conference in Guelph are all soil and
crop initiatives, but you don't have
to be a member to benefit from
these. Likewise the environmental
farm plan. We deliver it, but you
don't have to be an OSC1A member
to take it or get a cost share that
arises from it."
For Black the benefits to being
part of the Association far outweigh
the time commitment it requires to
serve on its executive. "I am always
looking for ways to improve things.
I like to see what others are doing
on their farms."
With many of the environmental
issues facing the industry today,
Black wants to be involved in
ensuring funding to complete
,projects that farmers couldn't afford
to do otherwise. "I believe that if
we're doing a project on your farm
that really doesn't benefit your
farm, but is basically a societal
benefit, society should pay for it:"
Getting that financial help is a
long drawn out process.
It's a trying time for cash crop
farmers now, who are receiving well
below the cost of production for
their crops.
However, Black said while it's
difficult to ignore the issue, the
OSCIA does try to stay focused on
the future. "A lot of the work we do
is looking to the future," he said,
adding, "though that's sometimes
Keith Black of the Belgrave area has been named president of the Ontario Soil and Crop
Improvement Association.
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
A farmer since 1976, Keith Black
of the Belgrave area has always
looked for ways to make things
better.
And as an education and
demonstration organization with a
goal of sustaining economic crop
production while sustaining and
improving the environment the
Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement
Association responds to that desire.
Black, who was just named
president of the Association, first
became involved at the local level
in the 1980s. As a representative for
the Huron Perth and Waterloo Soil
and Crop, one of 19 regional groups,
he began attending the Ontario
meetings in 1999.
(Bonnie Gropp photo)
The OSCIA has been leader in
agriculture through its various
programs and partnerships with
other organizations. They have and
continue to deliver programs such
as the Canada Ontario Environment
Farm Plan, land stewardship, farm
groundwater quality survey and
Greencover Canada to name only a
few.
They work hand in hand with
government ministries on a number
of projects as well as with a number
of other farm organizations. OSCIA
has been in existence since 1939. Its
membership stands at roughly 5,000
and represents virtually every
commodity group. It provides many
things to the agricultural community
including crop tours, seminars, yield
competitions, farm demonstrations
and on-line field trials.
"We are not a lobby group," said_
Black. "We don't get involved with
risk management and policy setting,
although we certainly support our
agricultural lobby groups, such as
the OFA, CEFO and NFU. Our role
is education, demonstration and
delivery of farm progranIS to the
farmer."
Despite its strong roots in history
and positive work record, OSCIA
faces challenges faced by many
organizations. One of the primary
ones is membership. "As it is with
many groups, it's a challenge to
increase membership," said Black.
"These days, some farmers are out
working away from the farm, their
spouse is working or they're tied to a
large operation. These things all
make it difficult to maintain ,or
increase membership."
Stephen Radford Londesborough 523-4922
"Specializing in
Older Tractor Parts"
Canadian Supplier of Steiner Tractor Parts